NOVEMBER 25, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Woo
hoo, it’s a short week!
And this will actually be a short tablehopper issue since my
fab designer is traveling, and asked me to keep this one brief.
Which is just as well, because I’m still in a food coma
from the early holiday party I attended Sunday night that featured
a turducken (yay, my first—and I’m
now a fan, as long as I’m not the
one making it), plus enough side dishes to fuel a planet
of hungry stoners. And wine and booze, natch. Speaking of booze,
high five to St. George Spirits for throwing
one hell of a party on Saturday—their holiday
open house was mighty fun (and their De Profundis 20-year-old
pear brandy is profoundly delicious).

Speaking of parties, check out the upcoming
event I’ll
be hosting on December 9th—it’s a unique
cocktail and cookin’ competition! See below for more in
the chatterbox—would love to see you there!

I’m so lucky to just ease on down the road to San Mateo
on Thursday for Thanksgiving with my parents, sis, and grandma.
Gotta love being local. More local love: in case you’re still
stumped on what you’re drinking this Thursday, Ian Becker
of Arlequin has written up a wino column on that very topic,
so enjoy.

Here’s wishing you all a lovely Thanksgiving, full of good
food, family, friends, vino, and let’s all give thanks for
everything we have, know, do, and are. Oh, and I owe an extra big
thanks to all the restaurants that responded to last
week’s call for placing interns from the upcoming graduating
class of the CHEFS program—both the program manager and I
are beyond thrilled with the response. Very grateful, indeed. You
rock.

NOVEMBER
25, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Attention
drinkers, eaters, bartenders, and chefs: on Tuesday December 9th,
I will be putting on a chocolate and cachaça cocktail-and-food
competition at Rosewood in North Beach from 6pm–8pm.
The event is celebrating the final month for entry submissions
for Scharffen
Berger Chocolate Maker and TuttiFoodie.com's~CHOCOLATE
ADVENTURE CONTEST~. To inspire beverage adventures,
they’ve partnered with Sagatiba
Cachaça, which is co-sponsoring this special
event.

Next
week I’ll be announcing how to RSVP for the party since
there will be a limited number of spots for guests—look for
it in the tablehopper column on Tuesday December the 2nd!

In the meantime, in the spirit of chocolate adventure, we
need four teams to compete at the party, each comprised of a
chef and a bartender. Yup, this is a different kind
of cocktail competition! Since this event is generously co-sponsored
by Sagatiba Cachaça and Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker,
bartenders will need to make a cocktail using Sagatiba Pura cachaça
(Dominic Venegas can get you a bottle to play with), and Scharffen
Berger chocolate (you can use anything from cachaça infused
with nibs to a dark chocolate rim, as long as the chocolate contains
anywhere from 41% to 99% cacao), and one of the following adventure
ingredients:

Meanwhile,
chefs (from sous chefs to cooks to executive chefs to pastry
chefs) are invited to create a bite to accompany their team’s
cocktail. Chefs will need to use Scharffen Berger chocolate (it
must contain anywhere from 41% to 99% cacao), and an adventure
ingredient (listed above) in their bite. It can be savory or
sweet.

Best
cocktail wins $200, best bite wins $200, and the best pairing
means $400 goes to the winning team. Think about it:
if your team is that good, you could even do a complete sweep,
walking out of the party with $400 in your
pocket. But don’t sweat it—even if you don’t
win or get to compete, you can still enter the Chocolate
Adventure Contest for a chance to win a $5,000 grand prize
in the categories of sweet, savory, and beverage.

All bartenders and chefs must be currently working in a restaurant
or bar in the 415 or 510 (so no caterers, private chefs, etc.,
sorry).

Chefs
can choose a bartender who works elsewhere, and vice versa:
you don’t have to be from the same establishment.
So choose your teammate wisely if you want a good shot at winning
best pairing!

You’ll
be preparing a total of five drinks and bites for the judges.

Chefs:
you are responsible for any heating elements/induction burners/equipment
you will need to prepare your bite. We just provide the power
and the space. Small plates for you to serve your bite on for
the judges will be provided—if you need
bowls or something else to serve your bite, please bring it.

Your drink and bite will be judged on the following criteria:
taste, appearance, creativity, use of ingredients, and finally,
how does it pair with the bite or cocktail.

The first four bartender and chef teams to register
with me will be the ones to compete. Once you get
your team finalized, email me ASAP to enter!

Are
you a bartender and need a bottle of the Sagatiba Pura cachaça
to practice with for the contest? Contact Dominic Venegas: domvenegas@gmail.com.

So,
you’re not a chef or bartender… but
wondering if you can come to the party? Of course, there is going
to be room for partying guests! The party is free,
and we’ll
be serving complimentary Sagatiba Velha cachaça cocktails
(offering a sneak peek and taste of this soon-to-be-released aged
cachaça!), plus some mole sliders and sweet treats from La
Cocina. Since the guest list action will be limited, please watch
for details on how to RSVP in tablehopper on Tuesday December 2nd.
You’ll want to act quickly!

Lastly, anyone can enter the TuttiFoodie.com and Scharffen
Berger Chocolate
Adventure Contest. You can submit sweet, savory,
or beverage recipes—in fact, not many people have entered
beverage recipes thus far (hint hint). One first-place prize
will be awarded in each category (sweet, savory, and beverage).
Winners receive: $5,000, a mention in Saveur magazine,
and more! Submissions to the contest end on January 4th, 2008.
Read more here.

See you at the partay!

And now, the news!

Lots of chef switcheroos and departures around town: I was sorry
to hear Mark Denham is no longer the executive chef of ~LAÏOLA~—his
sous chef, 27-year-old Ron Pei, has assumed the role of executive
chef. Starting December 1st, look for more casual tapas, and a
paella-only night on Mondays. Lunch service will start January
1st. As Pei stated, "Mark [Denham] is one of the best chefs in the city," says
Pei. "He launched Laïola to a fantastic start and I intend
to make sure we maintain Mark's integrity." I spoke with
Denham, and he said, “Ron’s a terrific guy, I wish
him the best of luck.” Will keep you posted on Denham’s
next kitchen, which I hope happens soon, because I dig his cooking
and philosophy. 2031 Chestnut St. at Fillmore, 415-346-5641.

~LA MAR CEBICHERIA
PERUANA~ has barely been open for two months,
and now the executive chef, José Luis de Cossío,
is leaving and returning to work at Andina in
Portland. His last day at La Mar is today. He actually opened
Gastón Acurio's first La Mar in Lima, working there
for two years, and then came to the U.S. in 2005 to work at
Andina in Portland for 2 ½ years. After speaking with
de Cossío, it seems he missed the creative freedom of
working at Andina, and said of opening La Mar in San Francisco, “It
was a great opportunity, but it’s not for me.” He
wants to start a family with his wife, and wants a backyard
and a dog, which we all know is rare to make happen in San
Francisco. He is looking forward to the challenge of running
his own show in Andina, and will start at the end of December.
As for his replacement in SF, that remains to be seen (another
chef might be starting in a couple months), but he said there
is always staff from the original La Mar in the SF kitchen,
maintaining the La Mar vision and style. Pier 1 ½ on
the Embarcadero, 415-397-8880.

Executive chef Alex Marsh is no longer at ~BRICK~ due
to some personal reasons—assuming his role is sous Nathaniel
Cooper, who has worked with Marsh for over a year. At ~SOLSTICE~,
Jorge Romero, who has been there for over three years, will be
in charge of the kitchen. Co-owner Matt Sturm expressed, “Both
kitchens are in very capable hands.” GM Matt Budesa, a trained
chef who has been with the group for the past five years, will
supervise both. Brick: 1085 Sutter St. at Larkin, 415-441-4232.
Solstice: 2801 California St. at Divisadero, 415-359-1222.

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire! Well, it certainly was
at ~NOPA~ this
Saturday, when there was an unfortunate fire in the shaft connected
to the kitchen (for the record, the hood has been cleaned diligently
and on schedule—it was just one of those things). The good
news: no one was hurt, it was before dinner service, the fire was
isolated and put out quickly, and woo hoo, Nopa will be reopening
this Friday. Nopa held a staff pre-holiday party Sunday night to
use up some of the food that wasn’t going to be consumed
this week while they’re closed, and they donated a bunch
of food to the Food Bank and Walden House. You can read more on
Richie’s line
cook blog. Here’s to their quick return to business… And
on a more somber note, everyone raise a glass (and a gorgeous organic
vegetable) in memory of Diane Joy Goodman, the
lovely mother of NOPA co-owner Allyson Woodman, who tragically
and unexpectedly left us a couple weeks ago. You can read a touching
tribute to Diane and her passionate work in last
week’s CUESA newsletter. Sending much love and sympathy
to the Nopa crew, and all the people who knew her. 560 Divisadero
St. at Hayes, 415-864-8643.

A
small update on additional happenings in the neighborhood: Nopa’s
baby offshoot, ~NOPALITO~, is coming along nicely,
and should be open by January 1st. 306 Broderick St. at Oak.

Up Divisadero, ~B'S
BBQ & GRILL~ has finally
opened. Well, kind of. They’re definitely in what I’d
call soft opening mode with erratic hours, so try calling before
heading over. The sign said they were going to be open this week
today and tomorrow (Wednesday) and then be closed for Thanksgiving.
Seems the brisket is the meat to order, according to some Yelpers who
have managed to have a meal here (I have been less successful).
The space is no frills and pretty small. It’s supposed to
be open for lunch and dinner, from 11am–9pm. 855 Divisadero
St. at McAllister, 415-525-3419.

Not too far away, ~DOSA ON
FILLMORE~ is holding their official opening next
Monday December 1st. I got a sneak peek at the space last week,
and let’s just say that big kitchen has owners Anjan
and Emily Mitra all excited about the expanded menu—look
for even more dishes hailing from the Southern Indian states.

One
thing I noticed is a special four-course tasting menu for $39
per person, which your entire table would need to order. You
can also do an additional wine pairing for $16 (one half-glass
with each course). The courses are a starter, a mini dosa, a
South Indian curry, and dessert (which includes some vegan and
vegetarian options). Will it be red beet cumin soup, or fried
prawns rubbed in ground lentils and chiles to start? There are
a bunch of dishes in each section to choose from, and there are à la carte
selections, too. The wine list is from Dosa Valencia Street’s
wine director and manager Todd Smith, who put together an even
more extensive list, with many small producers and often organic
and biodynamic wines from around the globe.

The
Mitras and Jim Maxwell of Architects II were very committed to
sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives for the restaurant,
including solar-powered water heaters, and recycled glass for
the bar tops and faces. The room is spacious and has high ceilings,
with lots of shimmery details and colorful elements. There’s
a bar, a lounge area and communal table, room for 82 in the dining
room (with some booths), and an upstairs mezzanine that’s
perfect for private parties (room for 50). Dinner will be served
nightly 5:30pm–midnight, and lunch will start a week later,
Mon–Fri 11am–3pm, and then brunch Sat–Sun 11:30am–4:30pm.
1700 Fillmore St. at Post, 415-441-3672.

Just
in case you’re jealous of my turducken experience,
you can try one at ~MAGNOLIA~ this
Wednesday. Chef Brandon Jew is making turducken for his monthly
three-course dinner that’s held on the last Wednesday each
month, and this one will feature butternut squash soup, turducken
(with Modesto Farm chicken in a Liberty Duck in a heritage turkey)
plus giblet gravy, Firebrand brioche stuffing, and pomegranate
sorbet. Beer pairings TBD. All for $33! Starts at 5pm. 1398 Haight
St. at Masonic, 415-864-7468.

And then over at ~ALEMBIC~,
there’s a new happy hour Mon–Thu from 5pm–7pm,
and on Fridays from noon–6pm, with half-price nibbles (Togarashi
popcorn, pickled quail eggs, shishito peppers, goat cheese croquettes,
among others). All righty! And mark your calendar because on Sunday
December 7th, Alembic is hosting a Sutton Sunday Supper, from 3pm
until they run out of the whole pig they’re roasting for
the event. Winemaker Carl Sutton will be on hand to talk and entertain,
and will be pouring four wines. Each dish will be around $15 paired
with a half glass of wine. Alembic will post the menu on their blog as
soon as the chefs finalize it. 1725 Haight St. at Cole, 415-666-0822.

Fan of brunch? ~THE
TERRACE RESTAURANT AT THE RITZ-CARLTON~ just launched
a new Sunday brunch this past weekend, blending buffet and à la
carte selections for $55 instead of the former mega-buffet
jazz brunch for $78. There’s now a smaller breakfast
buffet which includes fresh breakfast pastries, seasonal fruits
and berries, house-smoked salmon, build-your-own omelet station,
breakfast meats, and potatoes—you then choose your main
course, which includes a variety of Benedict variations, French
toast, Belgian waffle, New York steak and eggs, corned beef
hash, a vegetable sandwich, and more. And then there’s
the dessert buffet, with a choice of assorted European-inspired
desserts. There’s also the option of ordering a shared
seafood platter for the table, or caviar and blini. $55 (includes
a glass of sparkling wine, freshly brewed coffee or tea, choice
of orange, grapefruit, or tomato juice). Sundays (excluding
special holiday brunches) from 11am–2:30pm. 600 Stockton
St. at California, 415-773-6198.

Over in the East Bay, Chowhound had a posting about
French-country ~JOJO~in
Oakland closing. They are celebrating their ninth anniversary in
December, and will then go out with a bang on New Year’s
Eve with a cassoulet dinner. According to the goodbye note, here’s
what the owner had to say, “Many of you have expressed interest
in our future plans. Besides a little time set aside for some skiing,
we'll be moving into event planning, taking on endeavors both large
and small.” 3859 Piedmont Ave. at Yosemite, Oakland, 510-985-3003.

Got
a hot tip? You know I'd love it (and you). Just reply to
this email!

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NOVEMBER 25, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Ian
Becker has worked in the restaurant industry
for much of the past 15 years, and is currently the manager
of Arlequin
Wine Merchant, the sister store of Absinthe
Brassiere and Bar in Hayes Valley. Ian’s interest
in wine began as a waiter getting through undergrad while studying
journalism. Ironically it was sports writing that brought him
to the Bay Area, where the food and wine call was too much
to resist. Most days you can find Ian at Arlequin, where he
continues to search for the classic and unique wines of Europe
and California.

Choosing Wines Worthy of Your Thanksgiving Spread

I love to think of wine as food.

Now, before you think I’m just a crazy drunk, who drinks
his meals and it’s time to organize an intervention, what
I mean is that I often think of wine as a product of the vineyard,
like the apple from the orchard. Thinking of wine from this angle—well,
let’s call it fantasizing—makes it all the more available
to me, giving heightened pleasure to actually drinking it.

It’s fun to think about the hot sun in Provence when drinking
a rosé from Southern France, or the fog-lined rolling hillsides
of the Sonoma Coast while enjoying a Northern California syrah.
Okay, you’re right. I’m a nerd.

This type of geeking-it-out thinking hits me the hardest when the
seasons change. With this in mind, there’s no greater American
culinary celebration of the harvest than Thanksgiving. And while
for me it’s almost impossible to plan a meal without building
each bit of the menu off which wine I’m serving, traditional
Turkey Day fare can make finding the “perfect” wine
and food pairing a real challenge.

But don’t be afraid—you are not alone. Just keep the
following bits of advice in mind, and you’ll be sure to have
a great diner, even if your Aunt Sally brings that green-bean casserole
again.

Buy the Best Beaujolais

Look, clearly I love ringing in the seasons as much as anybody—but
just like parachute pants, perhaps we should leave Beaujolais Nouveau
in the 1980’s time capsule where it belongs. Since the mid-1950s,
producers of this wine that is made from gamay noir grapes grown
just south of Burgundy raced to be the first to hit markets in
Paris, England, and here in the States. But in 1985, the third
Thursday of each November was established as Beaujolais Nouveau
release day. A pretty savvy marketing technique for this whole-berry
fermented wine that has no tannin and smells of bananas, since
it lands just in time for us Americans to have it with our turkey
and stuffing; never mind that it has only been six weeks since
the grapes were harvested!

Now, I know that your Uncle Terry always brings a couple of bottles
of Duboeuf to Thanksgiving each year, and it’s part of your
family’s tradition and all, but seriously, maybe Uncle Terry
should do the dishes this year, too. Well, you don’t have
to be that mean, but give Terry a call and tell him you’ll
bring the Beaujolais, and shock the whole family with a wine that
has been aged and crafted with the type of care that a meal like
this deserves.

In other words, Cru Beaujolais. Look for names like Brouilly, Fleurie,
Chénas, and Morgon. All of these areas in Beaujolais still
produce light-bodied gamay that will pair very well with dry turkey,
but they will also posses the completeness of a wine you’re
looking for. And if Uncle Terry tries to call you a snob for bringing
something different, simply find the word “Beaujolais” on
the label, point to it and tell him not to break any of Mom’s
china while he’s busy busting suds.

Know Your Audience

I grew up in Southern Ohio in a big, German-Catholic family. Indeed,
my people like to drink. One year I brought back a few bottles
of grower-produced Champagne for a pre-meal toast. And while I
was walking around the table filling glasses, I saw a few of my
aunts immediately drop ice cubes into their flutes.

”Next year,” I mumbled to myself, trying to regain my composure, “it’s
cava for you two.”

The
bottom line is that they simply didn’t care
about the things that made this wine special to me, and who am I to make
them? But more importantly, why should I have to pay for it?

The next year, I brought some great crémant (French sparkling
wine not from Champagne) from Alsace that cost much less. I still
enjoyed it, and so did my aunts’ ice cubes.

Know the Menu

I’ve had Thanksgiving dinner at seven different homes in
the past seven years, and no two have been exactly the same—not
even close. One year we started off with guacamole, another with
Dungeness crab and oysters, and last year nearly each dish contained
bacon—guess where I’m headed back to this year!

My point is there’s a good chance you’re going to someone’s
house who is going to serve something a bit different than what
the Pilgrims ate. And if your host was nice enough to tell you
details about the menu in advance, and it seems like there are
a lot of different flavors competing for attention, go with wines
that won’t try to outshine the competition. With high acidity
and lean mineral tones, gruner veltliner from Austria can be a
safe bet that will pair with almost anything. For reds, the low
tannins and high acidity of pinot noir from the Old or New World
can also avail loads of possibilities.

Drink What You Like

It’s the most important thing to remember. Don’t freak
out, it’s just fermented grape juice.

If
you like hugely oaked Napa Valley cabernet or austere cabernet
franc from the Loire Valley, do it up! You’ve earned this
day of pigging out. Relax and enjoy it.

But
this is not only a day to revel in gluttony, it’s also
a day to share. One person brings a big jammy zinfandel, another
an aged Barolo and yet another a vintage Champagne. Who’s
the loser? That’s for you to decide.

NOVEMBER 25, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO It’s
time for a ~PIG HOOTENANNY~, and not just any
pig, but SOME PIG! Sam Mogannam of Bi-Rite Market says, “Come
meet Jude Becker from Becker
Lane Organic Farm in Dyersville, Iowa. Bill Niman (formerly
of Niman Ranch, now of BN Ranch) is now representing pork exclusively
from Jude’s ranch. The average age of Iowa Hog Farmers is
63. Jude just turned 32, took over his family’s pork business
10 years ago, and is a visionary leader in the new generation of
hog farmers. We talk about love, passion, and integrity at Bi-Rite,
and Jude Becker has it all. Bill Niman and many Bay Area chefs
consider this to be the best pork in the country.

“We’ll be featuring the Becker Lane Organic Pork prepared four ways:
cured, smoked, roasted, and braised. The ticket price also includes a glass of
Bi-Rite’s 2001 18th Street Syrah.

“This will be a great opportunity to meet the rancher, learn about the
pork, ask questions, and most importantly—taste it!”

NOTE: If you’re in the East Bay, on Wednesday December 3rd, Jude will be
doing a meet and greet at Eccolo from
6pm–8pm,
and there will be some Becker Lane pork à la carte dishes. On Thursday
December 4th, Pizzaiolo will
be doing a prix-fixe Becker Lane pork dinner at 8:30pm for $75 (wine included).

NOVEMBER 25, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO Supermodel Christy Turlington enjoyed
the shrimp Louie salad and Bradley’s famous butterscotch
pudding at Yankee Pier in Lafayette on Friday with her mother
and two children.

Damon
Wayans had lunch at Scala's on Saturday
solo. He had a Caesar salad and a bowl of pasta.

Michael
J. Fox had
dinner at Coi on Friday with son—they did the full tasting
menu.